Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Vegetable salads are a big deal at my house during the summer. I make them at least 3-4 times a week. They go with everything: meat, fish, poultry, vegetarian dinner. They’re colorful. They can be made ahead. They’re dairy-free, (although you can certainly add some crumbled cheese to most of them, including in the recipe below).

I’ve made this particular salad dozens of times, adding ingredients here and there if I have them — cucumber, canned chick peas, celery, crumbled feta or goat cheese (and once I made it with blue cheese), etc.

All good. This dish is a good pick for a July 4th weekend barbecue. We eat it at room temperature, when the flavors are at their best.

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

• 2 ears of corn (about 1 to 1-1/2 cups kernels)

• 1 small red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 3-4 scallions, chopped

• 1 avocado, cut into bite size chunks

• 2 cups cut up grape or cherry tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil

• 2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam, poach or grill the corn, let cool and scrape the kernels into a bowl. Add the bell pepper, scallions, avocado and tomatoes. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly and coat them with the oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the white wine vinegar, the thyme and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if desired. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Corn Salad

I can’t wait for 2020 to end. It’s been a stressful, depressing year.

In addition to the pandemic and the hate-filled political climate, we had a storm last week that knocked out our power and land-line telephone for days, and there was sketchy internet service too.

And we lost a huge limb from our favorite hundreds-of-years-old maple tree.

Then there was a water main break so we had no water for a whole day.

YECH!!

Still, I am grateful for a number of things.

For instance: crops. Vegetables that grow despite the political circus, despite the hatreds, despite the racial tensions, despite the bad weather, despite the virus, despite the social distancing and the quarantines.

They don’t make up for the lost lives, the lack of hugs, the inability to travel or be with loved ones. But, thank goodness for these, the positives that nature brings us.

Summer’s best crops: tomatoes, peaches and nectarines.

And corn.

Get a couple of good ears of corn and grill them or use your oven and follow the recipe below for a refreshing summer salad. It made me feel better to make this one.

Charred Corn Salad

• 2 cups corn (about 3 ears of corn)

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion ( 2 3/4-inch thick slices)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco (or use goat cheese or any crumbly white cheese)

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (or crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the corn and onion on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the vegetables, toss and roast for 12-20 minutes or until crisped and browned. Alternatively, rub the ears of corn and the onion with the olive oil and grill for about 10-12 minutes, turning the vegetables occasionally, or until crispy and tender, then remove the kernels and chop the onion. Place the vegetables in a bowl. Let cool. Add the cheese and parsley. Pour in the remaining tablespoon olive oil and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Grilled Corn Salad

Now's about the time of year when local corn is at its best. So of course, while corn-on-the-cob is always a good bet, there are reasons to cut the kernels off the cob too:

• your child or grandchild wears braces
• your parent or grandparent wears dentures
• you hate the mess and fussiness of eating corn-on-the-cob
• you've had your fill of corn-on-the-cob
• you want a pretty dish to go with whatever else you're serving

Here's what to do: salad. Like this easy one:

Grilled Corn Salad

• 2 cups grilled or otherwise cooked corn kernels (about 2 large ears of corn)*
• 1 cup cut up grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped chili pepper, optional
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the corn kernels, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, thyme and chili pepper, if used, in a bowl and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients to coat them with the oil. Pour in the wine vinegar and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

*You can also use raw corn kernels

Makes 4-6 servings

Grilled Corn and Green Bean Salad

I’ve been reading so much about the drought in the west and the deteriorating corn crop and surging prices that I bought an armload of corn recently. I figured I’d get me some great sweet summer corn before there was none left. Unfortunately you can’t keep corn long. It turns from sweet to starchy over time. So I grilled whatever remained of my stash and made salad out of it.

Grilled Corn Salad is thrillingly bright and colorful. It is also very good to eat and goes with almost any entree or other side dish.

Grilled Corn and Green Bean Salad

3 cups corn kernels (from 2 large grilled ears of corn)

1 cup cut up cooked green beans

1 cup cut up tomatoes

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1/4 chopped red onion


1 small chili pepper, deseeded and chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


2 tablespoons lime juice


1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt
 and freshly ground black pepper 
to taste

Place the corn kernels, green beans, tomatoes, avocado, onion and chili pepper in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil, lime juice and basil and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings